


All Good Things Under the Sun

by Anonymous



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alpha Hong Jisoo | Joshua, Alpha Jeon Wonwoo, Alpha Kim Mingyu, Alpha Lee Chan | Dino, Alpha Lee Seokmin | DK, Alpha Xu Ming Hao | The8, Alpha Yoon Jeonghan, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Beta Boo Seungkwan, Conditioning, Group Sex, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, M/M, Mind Manipulation, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Omega Choi Seungcheol | S.Coups, Omega Chwe Hansol | Vernon, Omega Kwon Soonyoung | Hoshi, Omega Lee Jihoon | Woozi, Omega Wen Jun Hui | Jun, Omega/Omega
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-15
Updated: 2019-10-21
Packaged: 2020-12-16 18:49:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,440
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21041024
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: The production team at Pledis has decided Seventeen's omegas could be making them more money if they were more palatable. They hire an expert consultant, who slowly molds them into Proper, Obedient, Omegas (TM).Warning: There is going to be A LOT of different groups of sex happening in this, I'll tag the pairings as they appear.





	1. Chapter One

Seventeen is a mess, truly. 

A rare mixed-dynamic band - certainly the most successful Sato Yoshi’s ever seen, with literal zero effort put toward marketing their omegas. They're given the same costumes and choreography as the alphas, travel in the same bus, give the same interviews. A fan would have to look at their biographies to even know which was which. It's outrageous! Baffling! Until Sato takes a closer look at this particular set of omegas.

He starts with Junhui. By looks alone, there is no problem here. He's a long, elegant line of refined features, soft skin, and large eyes. Yet he is, by far, the most awkward on camera. He's silent and timid, until he becomes bold enough to speak, when he shows himself as immature, ridiculous, and wildly inappropriate. 

Now Vernon, probably the biggest cause of the omega problems to begin with. Outspoken about politics, poisoning the rest of the band with these needlessly inflammatory issues someone his age has no business pretending to understand, ruining the group's reputation and distancing themselves from proper, respectable connections.

Jihoon is simply frigid. Cold, intimidating, and standoff-ish enough to sour his cherub-like looks, and it is a tragedy. The face of a classic omega, with the personality of a bag of rotting vegetables.

And there's Seungcheol. "Really?" Really. "Isn't he the leader?" He is. The leader of Seventeen, and wouldn't anyone simply assume he was an alpha? He's not helping the problem, making no effort to present himself in an appealing way. 

Soonyoung – now, Sato sees potential in this one. While he can certainly be unruly and wild, he always makes the effort to be put together, showing a pretty face. For all his faults, he never fails to be pleasant and welcoming, never resentful of criticism or scoldings from alphas. An ideal temperament for an omega. Of course, they had to go and give him a leadership position. All three team leads are omegas, in fact, and it is simply – outrageous. 

How could anyone market this group as omegas? 

It is true that in a group of well tempered omegas, _one_ of these types could be a charming offbeat, but this – all this, together – is just discordant. Seventeen does not welcome fans who like to fawn and praise omegas, and, more tragically, does not welcome omega fans themselves, the ones looking for proper, well behaved omega role models to emulate. 

It's becoming more and more apparent that they are losing and swaths of potential fans. Seventeen is winning awards, winning critical acclaim, but the masses drift toward bands with omegas that are sweet, and refined, and know how to _aegyo_.

Sato's first thought is to simply replace them – perhaps there's a few that can be worked with, Soonyoung, as said. Jun, maybe, with some effort. But removing the worst offenders from Seventeen– it's the obvious and easiest solution.

Sato's not only told _no_ \- he's laughed at! To his face! 

"Ah, this is your first time working with real idols, isn't it?" says the Pledis leader, smug. 

Sato bites his tongue. He has, he's worked with _real_, successful omega idols in Japan, celebrities in the west, but – he knows what they're getting at. He's usually brought in to consult in the beginning stages, not after they've become a proper, known idol, not idols with a following.

"The scandal, the backlash," he shakes his head. "If replacing half of them is your only solution – a better option is to just dissolve the band and start from scratch. Obviously, that's a last resort. That's why you're here at all. To work with them."

Sato raises an eyebrow, tapping his pen on the desk. 

"I could work with them," he says, slowly, because he already knows the sort of outrageous commitment he's making. "I can't make any guarantees, and it's not going to be easy."

"How long would you need?"

"Six months," he says. "At least. Six months of uninterrupted one on one time, and then another six months of occasional follow ups."

"So, a year altogether."

"You'll get them back after six months."

"We can't do without more than half the band that long."

"Oh, I'm talking about the entire band," Sato says. "I'd need to work with the alphas and the omegas."

"The beta, too, I imagine," says another member of Pledis management.

"There's a beta?" Sato asks, surprised. True betas are rare. Very rare. Most 'betas' are simply alpha or omega children who haven't settled into their dynamic yet, but he learns that Seungkwan is over twenty – certainly an actual, real beta. Now, that is someone he'd be interested in getting his hands on, but realistically he knows he would likely only disrupt the process. "The most important step in this process is the alphas. They'll be driving most of the changes in the band, it's essentially that I work with all of them."

The team at Pledis mutters about this for a bit, but then tells Sato they'll be entrusting the band with him, for as long as he needs. 

X

Seungcheol comes back from Pledis with unpleasant news, and it's obvious in his pained and quiet expression. It's nothing whiny or mopey, but solemn, and resigned. Like all he wants to do is go sit in quiet, but instead, he has to stand up in the middle of dinner and get everyone's attention.

"We're creating two new subunits," he says. "Official ones."

Everyone stops, in various stages of putting food in their mouth, staring.

"It's going to be announced during the comeback," Seungcheol says. "Alpha and omega units."

"What, they're kicking me out?!" Seungkwan asks with mock outrage, and it gets a weak burst of surprised, unsettled laughter from most of the band. 

"You'll flex as needed," Seungcheol says, and it kills the laughter. His immediate answer is unsettling, because that means that this was asked, at the meeting, which means it was a thorough meeting, concerning an idea they obviously thought a lot about, so this is a reality that is going to be happening. "We have more alphas, so you'll probably be in the omega unit most often."

"Why?" Wonwoo asks. "Why bother?"

"They're saying," Seungcheol says, obviously not totally comfortable with the answer himself. "That it would make the team more dynamic, give us more to work with, and – I don't know how much they believe it, but they said there's not a lot of good omega representation. And – I don't even know how many people even know – we have talented omegas on our team doing amazing things. But some people don't even know we're a mixed band. So I think – it could be worth trying."

"They're right," Vernon says, his eyes passing over the three omega team leads, sitting at the table across from him. It's hard to read Jihoon's expression, but he's gone back to eating without a problem. Soonyoung looks like he's warming up to the idea, Seungcheol looks relieved, and just to the left of that, is Jun, who, in fact, has been twitching with suppressed excitement since the words were out of Seungcheol's mouth.

"Ah, We've split up like that before," Jun says, drumming his thumbs on the table in an erratic rhythm, excited like a kid about to join a secret clubhouse. “It’s fun!”

"What do you think?" Soonyoung asks Jihoon. 

"As long as no one's leaving," Jihoon says, shrugging.

There's a beat where that seems to settle it. A pause for any further objections... ? Seungcheol looks around the table. 

"… Sorry, but I'm not all that sure about it," Jeonghan says. 

"Oh?" Seungkwan asks.

"Yeah, I was thinking," Joshua adds. "Omega only bands, they're not treated that great by social media. Or other bands. Or their own people, sometimes."

"Aah," Seungkwan says, with softer realization. 

"We avoid a certain kind of attention right now because we don't really talk about our omegas," Jeonghan says. "This is going to change a lot about how we’re received. The questions we get asked."

"Yeah," Seungcheol says, like he's about to say more, but then he doesn't, and just sort of lets his arms drop to his side. "The other thing – is the retreat. We're going on a retreat in two weeks."

"Two weeks??"

"We're ready to start _recording_," ah, _that's_ what annoys Jihoon. It's understandable, too, both Soonyoung and Jihoon have reached the 'good part' of producing – assembling all the concepts and themes they've been polishing, fleshing them out into actual songs with actual singers, seeing actual bodies move in time with those songs. They both look irritated at taking a vacation _now_, after all their hard work. 

"We'll be working up there, too, they've got some sort of – consultant, for our content – I know! I'm sorry, I wasn't okay with it either, but it they made up their minds before I went up there," Seungcheol says. He clears his throat, and grows solemn, eyes dropping to the table itself. "They were serious. They brought up contracts. We're going to have to at least try. If it doesn't work for us, we'll figure out an option then. Alright?"

Jihoon looks like he has more to say, but lets it drop with a disgruntled wave of his hand. 

"How long is it supposed to last?" 

Seungcheol mumbles something down toward his chest.

"What was that?" Jun asks.

"Six months."

Shock. Outrage. 

"So we're moving. They're making us move?" Jeonghan asks.

"You could say that."

"Where?"

"It's… really far away. From anywhere," Seungcheol says. "We're going to be pretty isolated. Like I said, we're going to keep working. Not a lot else for us to do."

"We're going on Weekly Idol in two months," Wonwoo points out, though he sounds defeated, and when Seungcheol only responds with a negative shake of his head, just sighs and rolls his eyes.

"Who is this consultant?"

"Aah." This, Seungcheol has to look through his notes for. "Sato Yoshi."

X

The retreat is in the Taebaek mountain region, and only a day's trip away from a luxury ski resort, which improves some of the negative mood on the flight over. 

They're driven out in two vans to a massive building, and immediately segregated. 

"This is the omega's wing, and this is the alpha's wing. For the first week we're going to ask you to stay in your own wing." 

The two groups stare at each other from across the parking lot, where they've been needlessly separated. 

"Why?" Seungcheol asks, into the confused silence. 

"Sato will explain when he arrives," the lady says, as the staff of the resort take the bags from the vans, carrying them inside. "Please, go to your rooms for now."

There's a pause, but once Seungcheol complies, the rest follow, officially saying farewell to their own staff, who are left behind in the parking lot. 

When they were younger, and even today while traveling, there are times when omegas and alphas share a cramped hotel room. Their own dorms at home are separated by omegas and alphas, though, and the bathrooms and of course the heat rooms are strict about it. 

This is a bit much though, and everyone is unsettled as they filter in through their respective doors, then follow their luggage being carried up a flight up steps. 

Sato watches, through surveillance cameras, the omegas arrive in their room. It's one shared space, with five beds low to the ground, and quite close together. As time passes, Sato hopes that this will help foster the omega's natural nesting instincts – in a pack, omegas will often nest together, in large groups. Omegas are, by nature, very communal, and he hopes to bring this out. 

On the opposite screen, the alphas are split again, some rooms on the second floor, and some on the third. Each alpha gets his own room, and each are spacious, with a good distance between the doors. This is calculated as well: Sato hopes to see the alpha's territorial instincts enhanced by granting them their own space. 

The diets prepared for each group is tailored, as are their activities, and the hormone enhancements, and other drugs, though Sato knows that while this will help, true change will only happen when he's able to break the group down, case by case. Immediately, the alpha Mingyu puts down his bag in his room, then goes to hunt out a companion to spend his time with, while omega Jihoon playfully kicks Soonyoung off his bed when he attempts to join him on it. 

This will be exhausting, he knows, but he will figure out the different methods needed for each. It's only a matter of time.


	2. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your patience. More set up, we'll be getting to the good stuff soon.

**kwannie♡boo♡**:  
hows the retreat?? 

**Vernon**:  
weird  
creepy  
weird  
we're all separated, by A and O.  
i'm not even allowed in the same building as the alphas 

**kwannie♡boo♡**:  
like  
a monastery or something??  
is this a cult???

**Vernon**:  
they took our suppressants too so that's  
you know  
not a good sign

**kwannie♡boo♡**:  
ehhhh??????  
your SUPPRESSANTS? they STOLE them??

**Vernon**:  
idk all we know is they're missing  
from all our luggage  
i packed a six month supply  
all gone.  
It's just weird  
everything about it  
this building is old  
and creepy  
you're lucky they're letting you come up later

**kwannie♡boo♡**:  
hansol  
you in danger :|

**Vernon**:  
yeah  
this sato guy is coming in now for introductions  
gotta go  
have fun at your moms

**kwannie♡boo♡**:  
keep me posted dear nonnie  
vernonie  
hansolie ♡

**Vernon**:  
♡♡

X

"Where's our suppressants?" 

This uncharacteristically combative thing comes out of Seungcheol's mouth before anyone else can say a word – hello, nice to meet you, how are you, or anything – but he's been pacing since they discovered their luggage was tampered with, slowly growing from anxious to panicked and now properly irritated. 

"Before I answer that," Sato says, bowing slightly at the waist. "Let me introduce myself properly. I'm Sato Yoshi. I've been working with omegas like yourselves – "

"Give us our suppressants," Seungcheol says, stepping in front of the group..

"Ha," Sato laughs, bringing his hands together. "Well, I guess we'll get right to the point. The suppressants Pledis put you on. _Estroloc_, correct? 160 micrograms. One pill each morning. Correct?"

The group exchanges a glance. A slight murmur. Yes, that is correct. 

"You should know that the odds that every omega in this room being prescribed the exact same suppressant, at the exact same dosage, is astronomical," Sato says. "Do you want to guess the odds of every omega signed under Pledis falling under the same dosage, too?" 

Silence. Pointed, this time. Heavy. 

"Pledis puts all of their omegas on a one-size fits all suppressant, as soon as they reach their first heat. Sometimes even before, if that's more convenient," Sato says. There's an uncomfortable shift, Vernon crosses his arms, Soonyoung looks to the floor. "This dosage is higher than most omegas need – yes, feel free to look it up," he says, gesturing toward Seungcheol, who already has his phone out. 

"The first step in any case I take is to investigate the agency that hires me," Sato says. "And Pledis has a concerning medical history to say the least. They don't know I'm doing this, but I've consulted with my own team, which includes an omega fertility specialist – Pledis employees a general practitioner, by the way. My specialist believes you should be off this extreme dosage as soon as possible, and allow your natural cycles to resume," he says. "After that, it's up to you. But I cannot in good conscious allow omegas under my care to be abused, which is, frankly, what these pills are doing to your bodies."

"What are – what are the side effects?" Soonyoung asks quietly, question directed toward Seungcheol and his phone. 

Seungcheol glances toward Sato, who nods, _go right ahead_, before answering.

"Hyperfertility.. infertility, blood clots… damage to the glands of – " he stops, clearing his throat.

"Damage to the lubrication glands, and prostate," Sato says, plainly. "The glands responsible for producing slick when a male omega is aroused. By suppressing heats continuously, the entire system is in danger of atrophy. Who here has never had a full heat? Not once?"

He directs his gaze to the two before, Vernon and Soonyoung. Unsurprisingly, they both give a short wave of their hand.

"That is just not healthy. Any doctor could tell you that. And – listen, I could go on, but I'm not trying to scare you," he says – a shameless lie. "I just hope you'll humor me in this. And the alphas are going through the exact same thing. They've been on the same sort of dangerous prescriptions as you."

"That's why you separated the alphas?" Jun asks.

"That's exactly why," Sato says. "It's possible you won't recognize yourself once your hormones start functioning at a natural level. The alphas might not recognize themselves, either. It's possible they won't be able to control themselves around you. I want things stable before we put any of that to the test. I hope that sounds reasonable to everyone here. Now," he says, and claps his hands together again. "Any questions?"

"Why did you go through our stuff? Why didn't you just tell us?" Vernon asks.

"Well," Sato says. "I guess I just tend to be protective of omegas! If I could've gotten away with it, I would've snunk into your place in Seoul and thrown them out the bathroom window a week ago."

A short, amused huff of laughter from the group.

"Aah, but this is such a grim atmosphere! This is your vacation, am I wrong?" Sato says. "Let's shake off this bad start! Go on a little tour."

Sato shows them a gym, and an indoor pool. There's an attached greenhouse, and a ballroom, and massive dining hall, and . Clearly a renovation of an old western-style mansion. Of course this particular group would view it through this particular lens, but the comment is made, again and again, that it looks like the set of a music video, Halloween themed, and cartoonishly spooky.

"The old servant hall is down that way," Sato says, showing them a line of small rooms.

"Are they our heat rooms?" Seungcheol asks.

"No. No heat rooms," Sato says. 

"_What?_"

"This will be your first full heat after years of suppressants. If something goes wrong and you need medical attention, we need to know right away. We'll be counting on each of you to keep an eye on your teammates when their heats come – and to communicate openly with each other about any unusual changes you're feeling," Sato says. "Do you think you’re up to that?"

"We always look out for each other," Vernon says, looking a bit annoyed at the implication that they couldn't be trusted to do so.

"I'm glad to hear that," Sato says. "And, back to the point – certainly not everyone agrees with this, but it's been my opinion for some time that omega heats should be something experienced as a pack, an opportunity to bond. Not something to be hidden away and ashamed of."

When he turns around, Jihoon is staring in such open, horrified disgust, that it makes him laugh out loud.

"As I said, it's not something everyone agrees with! But either way, you can't go hiding away during your heat until we know everyone's got a clean bill of health," he says. "Come on, I want to show you the observatory in the south tower."

He leads them up the winding staircase, as they murmur in increasingly loud, increasingly excited voices behind him.

"Aaah - _wingardum levosa_!" he hears Jun say, nonsensically, once they make it to the top. "This should be Jihoon's studio."

"Ooooh," an excited murmur of agreement. 

Jihoon is considering the area with a frown, and Sato smiles, indulgently. Jihoon's studio. How Quaint. Pledis expects the album to be finished without any delays, so they will be working on it during their time here, but Sato isn't putting much stock in Jihoon's vanity credentials and their "producer" marketing gimmick. 

"No. The ceiling’s too high for a studio," Jihoon says. "But I could move my equipment into any of those smaller rooms downstairs." He glances back toward Sato in an unspoken request for permission. 

"I think we should wait until you settle in before getting back to work," Sato says.

"Work is part of settling in for a guy like Jihoon," Seungcheol says. 

"You don't think you should wait until the vocal coach arrives?" Sato asks. "Your fellow songwriters at Pledis?"

"We're already behind, ajusshi," Seungcheol says. "There's a lot of work we can get done on our own."

Sato turns his head before rolling his eyes. "Ah, a very pragmatic group of omegas I have here. Very well, let's see if we can find a suitable space for your little – studio."

X

Everything about this stinks. Chan hates that Pledis is doing it, hates that they're going along with it, but. 

But it's been. A _long time_ since he's had his own room. With a door with a lock. A lock that actually locks, and no one else could enter, no crew, no staff, no bandmates, no cameramen – with no cameras! Anywhere!

Chan stretches, spreading his arms wide across the mattress. 

This is what a normal person's vacation must be like, he thinks, a little jealous.

Irritation makes a weak attempt to rise in his gut again – flying them up here, driving them up the mountains, all of it is such an imposition. Cruel. Pledis is always bullying them. But he can't commit to the feeling properly, enjoying the silence of the room too much.

He pulls out his phone, messing around, texting, and reading a few articles, not realizing how late its gotten until he has to turn on the beside lamp. Not long after that, there's a knock on the door.

The door knob jostles, and then he hears a betrayed gasp, a hand slapping the door.

"Locking your Jeonghan-hyung out???"

Chan snorts, rolling off the bed. When he opens the door, Jeonghan is relishing his hurt hyung act. 

"You're not thirty yet, Dino," he says. "You can lock doors when you're thirty."

"Ah, right, right," Chan agrees, distantly. "Sorry."

"Our host says dinner's ready," Jeonghan says, and insists on leading him down the stairs by hand, as though he were a pup.

Despite what they said before, Chan can't help but expect to find the rest of their bandmates waiting. Their absence is pointed, and so is Seungkwan's, and Chan smirks at his own fickle attitude – how much he was relishing the time alone, then an hour later, pouting that all of his friends are too far away. 

He's distracted soon enough by the impressive spread of barbecue, piles and piles of meat, and the first thing Sato says is, "Help yourselves."

They help themselves. 

There's a mumbled introductions around mouthfuls of meat, while Sato talks about where he's worked, who he's worked with, and so on.

"As you eat, I want to give you an idea of our goals, here, at this retreat," he continues. "This whole thing is for the health and happiness of your omegas. What you have here – this band – is great. Your energy and creativity is amazing, and Pledis wants to make sure we can maintain that. But Pledis has made some mistakes in how they managed your band, and especially your omegas."

"No kidding," Wonwoo mutters.

"I don't have a problem with suppressants on principle, but I'll tell you straight out, the ones that Pledis has put you all on are a risk to your long term health, and I'm banning them for the duration of the retreat."

Sato proceeds to tell them a horror story – the high dosage the omegas have been on, and the side effects of that, especially on those who were placed on them too young, which he helpfully advises them is two of their own omegas. 

He tells them about how a natural cycle after all this time could make them weepy, needy, confused, clingy. How in fact, the personalities they are familiar with might actually be a bit different, because of this extreme doses. 

"This applies in a way to yourselves, as well," Sato finishes. "You'll be going through your own changes from your natural ruts. Because of that, I'm going to keep your omegas separated, safely, as long as I can, but it's possible that only a familiar alpha will be able to ease some of the symptoms. Just a warning of what could come over the next few weeks, or even months." 

"Sorry, what's all this _your omega_ stuff?" Mingyu asks. "You keep saying that. They're not _ours_. No one's mated to anyone."

"They are yours," Sato says. "You're not mates, but this is a pack, and a very strong one at that. It's a natural thing for alphas to be invested in the well being of everyone in their pack, and that includes their fellow alphas, their betas and their omegas. And if you don't feel that protective instinct now, believe me when I say that it will be coming soon, once the drugs in your system stop blocking it."

Mingyu and Chan exchange a skeptical look from across the table.

"I can see some doubt," Sato says, hands up. "That's fair. Let's table all this for now, and just look forward to a nice, relaxing retreat."


	3. Chapter 3

**Jun**:  
hao~  
༼ꉺ౪ꉺ༽  
heyyy?  
hao?  
٩꒰｡•‿•｡꒱۶  
haooie-ya  
are you in bed?  
HEY HAO  
ヽ༼ ಠ益ಠ ༽ﾉ 

**Jun**:  
Maybe hao is asleep ....  
minghao?  
♥(ˆ⌣ˆԅ)

**Jun**:  
minghao remember when you were planning to grow 1.5cm  
did that ever work out~~  
(≖ლ≖๑ )ﾌ

**Jun**:  
heyyyy~  
2458358.jpg  
these are my toes

**FROG**:  
what sort of idol texts a pic of their feet like that  
what am I supposed to say if I get caught with this on my phone

**Jun**:  
i posted them on ig too (n˘v˘•)¬  
go comment!  
♡˖꒰ᵕ༚ᵕ⑅꒱

**FROG**:  
i'm going back to sleep

**Jun**:  
hao hey this is pretty crazy~~??  
hey maybe in 6 months you'll be taller without suppressants  
maybe I won't even recognize you~~ ヽ༼ಢ_ಢ༽ﾉ

**FROG**:  
that's not how it works  
you're nervous about this?

**Jun**:  
٩꒰ʘʚʘ๑꒱

**FROG**:  
I think we're lucky.  
When do we ever get a break like this? When would we have a chance to try living without suppressants?  
Our bodies and minds are strong.  
We'll still be the same people in 6 months

**Jun**:  
okeeyy  
I wasn't even nervous but okeyyy

**FROG**:  
i'm really going to sleep now, hyung.

**Jun**:  
人人人人 へ( ﾟｪﾟ)＿ 人人人人

X

Jun pouts into his arm. 

He scrolls through his texts to the rest of the alphas, but it is late. They're either asleep or using that as an excuse to not reply. 

Across the room, there's one tiny, bright light, shining down into Seungcheol's face as he scrolls on his phone.

**Jun**:  
hey~~

**Shengzhe**:  
?  
what?

**Jun**:  
Just wanted to catch up  
what have you been up to these days~  
i'm on a holiday (n˘v˘•)¬

Jun smiles as Seungchol snickers quietly, rolling onto his side, his back to Jun, going along with the game.

**Shengzhe**:  
yah me too  
mountain holiday  
very glamorous 

**Jun**:  
a mountain holiday means lots of skiing (♥ω♥ ) ~♪

**Shengzhe**:  
No a holiday is for relaxing  
I'm by the fire in the lodge, soaking in the peaceful atmosphere 

"Do you think we'll get to go, though?" Jun asks, excited now about the idea. They saw more than one ski lodge on the flight over, and Vernon looked it up on his phone earlier today, and saw that they're close enough to one lodge to make it back in the same day. 

"Ah, maybe," Seungcheol says, solemn. If you didn't know him, a serious tone like that would probably make you think he knows what he's talking about and is being cautious for a reason. But Jun knows him back to front and can tell he's clueless.

"Six months is a long time," Jun sighs, rolling onto his back. It's only been three days so far, and each one has crawled by. Maybe it's better for Seungcheol and Soonyoung and Jihoon, because they're busy, setting up for the rest of them to do things. 

"It is," Seungcheol agrees. "Feel any different?"

"No," Jun says. "You?"

"No," Seungcheol says. He's quiet for a bit.

**Shengzhe**:  
I asked hansol yesterday and today, but he says there's no change... 

Jun exhales in relief, sitting up in bed, typing quickly.

**Jun**:  
(≧~~~≦)  
I smell him!!!!  
maybe he can't tell  
But he's in cuddle-mode too

**Shengzhe**:  
yeah a lot more skinship than usual for him  
I don't know tho  
I had a heat before they gave us the estroloc, but I don't remember a lot about it

Jun's eyebrows go high. He _definitely_ remembers.

Seungcheol's heat is what triggered Pledis putting all of them on suppressants, even Soonyoung and Vernon. Seungcheol's heat was real alpha-focused, so much that the alpha choreographer they were working with had been forced to leave the studio. That only made it worse for poor Seungchol - convinced he'd disappointed the alpha, he became a needy, whiny thing. Jeonghan had taken over, petting Seungcheol's head in his lap, but it wasn't enough. Seungcheol had wanted Wonwoo's and Mingyu's attentions, too, and Shua's, and Minghao's, and the staff, and the crew, and every alpha he could smell. He would've happily gone along anywhere any alpha decided to take him, which was kind of scary, and Jun had figured that's why Pledis had reacted like they did.

Jun's heats aren't like that. Or they weren't. He had a lot of them, back before he even left for Korea, and it hadn't been a bother to anyone. He can still remember the slow, easy build. He was foggy-headed, and loopy, but in a fun way. A nice way. Everything in the world felt good and floaty and pleasant, like as long as he was with his pack, the world was just – perfect. His sister said it made him a silly ball of giggles and then Jeonghan said basically the same, calling him too sweet and happy to stand it, pinching his cheeks and hugging and tickling. Even remembering makes Jun smile. 

**Jun**:  
what about soonyoung *⁂((✪⥎✪))⁂*

Seungcheol laughs. "I don't know," he says. "He tells me he's going into heat and then changes his mind an hour later."

"He smells different, definitely," Jun says. They both look toward Soonyoung's empty bed, where some of his scent still lingers. Despite the hour, Jihoon managed to talk him into working out. When they get back, he'll smell even stronger from the exertion. 

Seungcheol is probably thinking the same thing, because next he says, "Jihoonie in heat will be weird."

"I remember Jihoon's heat," Vernon's groggy voice suddenly says, and both of them start in surprise. 

"Yeah, it’s hard to forget," Jun says, loud now that he doesn't have to whisper. He rubs his shoulder at the memory alone. "He punches a lot."

"He punched _you_ a lot, specifically, Seungcheol," Vernon says, also wincing, from a mix remembering tiny, fist shaped bruises on his body, and the early hour. "I heard heats were supposed to make omegas more relaxed, but he was always like. On overdrive or something."

Seungcheol is staring at the ceiling in silent, deep thought, going through his memories. "Really?" he finally says. "Really, that was him in heat??"

"Woozi-style-flirting," Jun says, and does a slow-mo punch in the air, the way he remembered Jihoon doing. He would also tackle, and wrestle, and jump up onto Vernon's back without warning, and sometimes, if he got real worked up, _bite_. 

"But – to other omegas?" 

"Maybe that's what he likes," Vernon says.

"He was always bullying Mingyu in heat, too, though. And Wonwoo. And everyone," Jun says, frowning. His favorite targets to pounce on were by far Seungcheol and Soonyoung, though.

Jun's phone buzzes. 

**QuanYuanYou**:  
does cheol know you posted feet pics  
i'm telling on you if he doesn't

Pouting, Jun deletes the pic that has already accumulated an unusually high like count from his profile. 

X

There are vents in the floor of the gym. This is the first thing Jihoon noticed when they were going on the tour, and the idea is immediately appealing. Ingenious. They're installed to the side of almost every machine, something he's never seen before, and he's been thinking about a nice, cool breeze from below as he works out since then. 

He convinced both Soonyoung and Seungcheol to help set up his studio, which took all day, and left them all exhausted. As reward, they want a break, but the reward Jihoon wants is in the gym. 

He can only talk Soonyoung into joining him. 

About an hour into their work out, though, Jihoon has accepted the very disappointing fact that the vents do not blow air. The room actually has horrible ventilation, growing stuffy and hot quickly, enough to remind Jihoon of a sauna. 

"S' brutal in here," Soonyoung gasps as he gives up on the treadmill, feet barely keeping up with the belt as it slows to a stop.

"Thirty more minutes," Jihoon pants, gulping down water. Soonyoung nods, then walks jerkily to the stationary bike. Jihoon frowns as he looks, again, at an empty space where heavy lifting machines were obviously recently removed. He can't even say he's surprised, given Sato's extreme nutty attitude. They're probably in the alpha gym, Jihoon thinks, and starts to plot, privately, a way to sneak over there to use it. Not anytime soon, but they're here for a while. If he doesn't get a chance to lift in the next few weeks, the hard earned muscle in his arms and stomach he built up through months of hard work will start to melt away like butter on a frying pan. 

Frustrated, he pushes that into his run, deciding to sprint the last ten minutes, heaving in humid, hot air, heavy with his and Soonyoung's distinct scents. After a particular strong breath in of _Soonyoung_ but _better_, Jihoon glances toward him on the bike.

Soonyoung’s feet are moving with the last of the momentum he pumped into the peddles, but his legs are clearly lax, arms limp from where he's drooped forward on the handles. 

Jihoon keeps watching, until Soonyoung's feet still, and the bike gives a warning chime, then the display flicks off. Still, Soonyoung doesn't move. 

Jihoon turns off his own machine, stumbling from a jog to a walk.

"Hey."

Soonyoung doesn't say anything. 

There's a few possibilities here. There's that glaring, obvious one Jihoon doesn't want to consider yet, even with the scent heavy in the air, because this isn't _that_ weird for Soonyoung. Sometimes he just gets lost in his own head, and will emerge with a new idea, or a new routine, or something bizarre, or sometimes nothing at all. Sometimes he just falls asleep in weird places.

But this scent. Jihoon feels his already flushed face heat even deeper, licking his lips. Omegas smell good. Everyone knows it. When omegas are drawn in cartoons they have auras of pink and yellow, and flowers radiating out. They smell like – sweet, good things, things you want to – bury your face in. 

He approaches Soonyoung, slowly, as though in a trance. 

"_Hoshi_," he says, sharply, to pull both of them out of it. 

Soonyoung inhales sharply, and it sounds like waking up. He turns toward Jihoon, and the look on his face settles it. Soonyoung's face is flushed a deep pink, glistening from sweat, bangs damp. 

He's in heat. Anyone would recognize it. 

"Hey," Soonyoung says, happily. He's not sneaky or slick about it, he does it like it's the most natural thing in the world, and this is ultimately why it takes Jihoon so off guard he doesn't defend against it – Jihoon steps in close enough to help him off the bike, and Soonyoung leans forward, hand to the side of Jihoon's neck, and kisses him. It's short and wet, both of their mouths are open, and it sends a tingly shock down Jihoon's back. Not satisfied with that, Soonyonug gives him another gentle kiss, his jaw, then to his neck, down, three, four, gentle, nice touches. Jihoon is stuck by the scent and the tingles and pure surprise, stunned in place. Who knows how long he might have stood there, if the vent below his feet hadn't suddenly kicked on.

Jihoon moans in anticipation, and Soonyoung grins at him, taking it as a compliment, kissing again in the same spot on Jihoon's neck. 

But the cool air never comes. 

Confused, Jihoon feels a tug, and realizes, air is being sucked _out_ of the room. Not in. 

It's just the straw that breaks the camel's back. The spell of Soonyoung's heat is broken.

"Okay. Okay. Enough, stop," Jihoon says, tugging back, out of Soonyoung's grip, ignoring his whine. "Let's get back to the room. Take a shower."

"Yeah," Soonyoung agrees in a murmur, but his eyes stay dark and blank enough that Jihoon doubts he understood a word of it. 

X

A soft click, metal slats sliding open. It's winter, and even in sleep Joshua's brow creases, sensing something wrong with the air conditioning suddenly switching on in his room. 

In each alpha's room, the same thing repeats, Seokmin looking up in surprise. The rooms are warm enough that the sudden cool air isn't _bad_. And the scent is light. Subtle. 

These alphas haven't been around an omega in heat regularly, so they're unable to name the rich sweet perfume, and if they guessed, if they noticed enough to even try, they probably wouldn't have guessed omega. 

But deep down, in the parts of the alpha mind that does not use reason or logic, they know, immediately.

Restless, Jeonghan turns over in sleep, face down on the mattress. His dream becomes urgent. Soonyoung's eating, and his mind goes into detail, Soonyoung's mouth parting, his lips soft and wet, and Jeonghan's fingers, his thumb, rubbing away sauce in the corner. He slips his thumb into Soonyoung's mouth, in his dream, and in reality, he groans, inexplicably and intensely erect. He grinds against the mattress, and his dream, Soonyoung moans like the taste of Jeonghan alone makes him feel good. Like he'd have to have something bigger in there, in his mouth, stretching his lips wide. 

But the omegas left the gym quickly after his heat began. The scent quickly dries out, and the alphas settle back down, the moment of passion short lived, leaving only a faint, hungry shadow in each of their minds.


End file.
